Tea association in Malawi hikes minimum wage

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Malawi tea.

Players in the tea industry operating under the Tea Association of Malawi (Taml) have agreed to increase the daily minimum wage for workers in the sector from K600 to K850.

The increase which will see workers receiving a minimum of K25, 500 per month started this month.

Malawi tea.
Minimum wage raised.

The rate in the tea sector surpasses the government minimum wage which is at k687.70 per day.

Taml Chief Executive Officer Clement Thindwa said the sector always strives to pay its workers above the government set minimum wage.

He said that the association took longer to increase the wage as they were waiting for government to announce its new minimum wage.

“We review our wages every year and government was supposed to raise the minimum national wage in June but that did not happen so it delayed our decision as well,” said Thindwa.

He added that when increasing the minimum wage, the association also takes into account issues of inflation, exchange rate and cost of food within estates.

“Looking at the current economic situation where inflation has gone up, food costs have gone up and the Kwacha is depreciating, we had to come up with something,” said Thindwa.